Gas turbine engine components, such as turbine blades or vanes, experience high thermal loads due to being exposed to hot gases during engine operation. Overexposure to heat or higher temperatures can have significant impact to the lifecycle of the component. As a result, heat management strategies have been used to provide cooling to such components. One such strategy is to configure the component to allow for transpirational cooling which requires the addition of internal cooling channels and passages formed in the component. Investment casting is a well-known technique for the production of such components with cooling cores. Although investment casting techniques utilize individual ceramic cores for producing many types of cast gas turbine engine components, the need remains for an improved ceramic casting core and methods of use.